Hi WWGood to see you on propertyinvesting.com – looking forward to your contributions.All the bestJamie

Hi DaveIf you do a search you should be able to find a fair bit of info. I think it was recently asked.

keren_mx5 wrote:
Getting 100 percent offset but still can't see why IO is beneficial. Isn't better to pay off as much and as soon? 

Hi KerenYep, it's good to pay it down quickly. You can do this with your offset account. Basically, the money in your offset account will reduce the amount of interest you pay in your loan. If you have a $500k…[Read more]

Suss out the anticipated body corporate fees as well – they can be sky high in that area.For what it's worth, I think SE QLD will do well over the next year or two. If anything, it hasn't experienced the dramatic rises in recent times like Sydney, Melb and Canberra have. I still like Logan – relatively cheap buy in, decent yields…..interesting…[Read more]

EPI_Den wrote:
Also have a look at the magazine stands for property magazines, especially those with heaps of tables at the back.

 Oh yeah, check out this months Your Investment Property mag – my wife and I (and our fur child pug) are in it.

akuma wrote:
The agent told me that they are building a Grammar school near buy, and a big shopping complex. How do i confirm this?

You could try and get in touch with the council. Is there a website?

Could be too late – it's been labled as a hot-spot for a while now. Prices may have already jumped…..

Pete Tersteeg from Sage Lending. He was my broker before I became a broker. Deals mostly with investors.He doesn't post on this forum – he posts on http://www.somersoft.com under PT Bear.CheersJamie

Hi ChristineWelcome to the forum – you'll find a heap of useful info and plenty of friendly people willing to offer a hand.I'd start by educating yourself (which you've already started). Read, read, read is the advice I give my new investor clients. Go and rent out every property investing book at your local library. Get a feel for the differen't…[Read more]

Hi Dellas,Welcome to the forum Congrats on saving $85k – you must be a very disciplined saver.Where are you looking to purchase? If you're in an area that's experiencing rising property prices then it might be best to get into the market now rather than later (because property prices may increase at a faster rate than your savings).It's hard to…[Read more]

We (wife and I) found ourselves constantly managing the property managers. Reminding them of overdue rent, inspections that were never carried out, etc. We find it much easier self managing. Granted, we haven't had any nightmare tenants yet (touch wood).I think I have just had bad experiences with the few PM's I've dealt with and I have no doubt t…[Read more]

duckster wrote:
4. LOAN – how does paying "interest only" for the period of PPRO helps any tax benefits etc? Is it advisable or really doesn't make a difference? I have no debt. Mostly this is a cash flow decision and whether you want to pay off the debt on the mortgage.5. OTHERS – if there are any other pointers or warnings, please do let me…[Read more]

Qlds007 wrote:
If you increase the loan and have a great holiday then regretfully not.

Would be nice though

I'm sure there's still good deals to be found in Melbourne. However, the extraordinary rise in prices over the last 12-18 months does make it a less attractive place to invest at present (because you're buying in at the peak of the cycle).

Being in the same industry for a lenghty period improves your chances of getting finance approved. In any case, if the deal is subject to finance you don't have much to lose.Sounds like it could be a good deal – put in a low-ball offer and see how it goes.

brunowa wrote:
A quick question on loan structures.. should I continue to pay down my current PPOR or start to pay interest only so when my current PPOR does become an investment property I have a higher tax deductable loan amount?

Correct – if you anticipate turning it into an IP down the track, set up the loan as IO with an offset attached.…[Read more]

When I said "they've" I meant "Melbourne" – just re-read my post and it didn't look right CheersJamie

They've just experienced 20% growth in one year. Off the plan can be quite effective when purchasing in a rising market. Not sure if this will be the case in Melb at present.CheersJamie

Agree with above – start with some reading, familarise yourself with differen't strategies. Set a goal and get to work acheiving it.CheersJamie

Hi TongYep, I'm based in Canberra. Woden, Civic, Tuggeranong, Belconnen – I meet clients wherever it's convenient for them.